


To Walk the Fine Line

by As1anBeasTagE



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Action, Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Anarchy, Crime, Drama, F/M, Rioting, Romance, Tragedy, nighthowlers
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-01
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-28 12:51:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7640938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/As1anBeasTagE/pseuds/As1anBeasTagE
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nick finally gets to prove to himself that he's more than just a hustler. However, in the wake of several violent crimes, the fine line between work and friendship becomes lost in translation. Best friends become enemies, new doubts form in the minds of our two heroes and their colleagues. Will Nick and Judy be able to repair the damage in time or send it spiraling out of control?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Day

**Author's Note:**

> 6/24/16: Major overhaul to storyline happening during the next few days. It just wasn't going anywhere for me and the narratives were lacking. Anyways, most of what's already there is going to stay the same, just more character development, etc.

* * *

_BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP..._

A figure rustled underneath the covers, slapping his pillow over his ears to muffle the sound of his new life. He wasn't keen to wake up, due to being hungover from a graduation party the cadets had after the ZPD induction ceremony. His head felt like it was being squeezed between two rocks, pulsating every time the alarm rang. He felt the urge to throw it against the wall but decided otherwise. His arm extended out from under the covers and felt for the nightstand next to his bed to hit snooze.

_Ugh…I need to lay off the Batcardi next time..._

He rolled over to see what time it was.

_6 o'clock in the morning? Oh man, I only got 5 hours of sleep…why did I go to that party last night? Why did I drink that much in the first place...?_

A sigh of exasperation echoed through Nick's apartment as he rolled out of his covers and sat up on his bed. His apartment was messy; clothes strewn everywhere, unwashed plates and utensils littered the counter next to the sink. Even parts of his dress uniform from the ceremony were strewn all across the filth besieged room. The TV was on as well and he sure didn't remember watching anything last night. The only clean object in his room was the fox-sized ZPD uniform neatly hanging from the door handle of his closet, still in its dry cleaning bag.

_Yeesh…need to clean up this place soon._

Nick was almost sloth-like from waking up this early. Dressed in nothing but boxers and a muscle shirt, he shuffled into his bathroom, tail dragging along the floor, and went about his morning routine. On his way, he picked up the uniform along with another white undershirt and hung them on the interior handle of the bathroom. He stripped off whatever clothing was left on his body and was reaching for the shower handle when a knock came from the door.

"I'll be right there!" Nick yelled through the bathroom doors.

He put on his bathrobe and walked casually towards the front door. He opened it and was greeted by the glowing face of his new partner.

Nick and Judy had been seeing each other every chance they had for the past five months, which wasn't much since leave from the academy was only once a month if the cadets were lucky. Granted, the first leave was mostly helping Judy around her hole-in-the-wall apartment while she recovered from their ordeal at the museum. She'd fractured her tibia and tore her leg open on a bronze elephant statue, prompting the doctors to stitch her up and put Judy in a leg cast. Although she was in a cast, it didn't stop her from continuing her police work as case files were strewn about her apartment, despite Bogo's specific orders for bed rest. Her dedication to the job was admired by Nick, but that didn't stop him from using a nickname at least once an hour. After she'd gotten her cast off, they explored the city together. In the time Judy had been in Zootopia, she'd never gone out on the town so Nick showed her the sights and the vibrancy of the night life.

"Hey Officer Fluff! What are you doing here?"

"Just came by to welcome my new partner to the ZPD and help him get ready for work on his first day."

"Aww…isn't that nice? A house call." Nick's signature smirk grew on his face like the buffalo grass in Savannah Square. "Come on in. Make yourself comfortable."

"I hope I'm not intruding. I mean after the party and that vixen you took home with you…" Judy was going to have a ball with her drowsy partner while it lasted. She knew she was going to get blasted by nicknames and Nick's sassy attitude but what's the harm if you strike first.

"No, no. The last animal who helped me get ready for something was my mom. It's nice to have someo– wait, what did say Carrots?" The smirk was wiped away from his face by the words Judy had just uttered from her mouth. The headache disappeared as his brain went into hyperdrive.

"I said 'You took a friend home last night.' Wow, for being a former hustler, you sure are hard of hearing. Is she still here? She left her jacket at the party and I was hoping to return it to her," she said as she presented a dark gray overcoat to the shocked fox.

A chill traveled down his back, prickling the hair as it moved to his tail and sent Nick into a state of shear panic, a cold sweat started to develop on his forehead.

"Are you okay?" Judy asked. She tried to keep a straight face but was dying. She could barely keep herself together, let alone keep herself from cracking up.

_Oh my god. What the heck happened last night? All I remember is stumbling home and falling asleep on my bed._

_Just stay calm Nick._

_STAY CALM? I. BLACKED. OUT. I don't even know what I did after I left. For all I know I could have taken some strange vixen home from that party!_

_For all you know, the rabbit is probably trying to get you to freak out._

This thought seemed to calm him down and the coldness faded away. As he collected himself, he began to think back to his old conning days.

He retorted, "Oh yeah! That vixen! I think her name was Zaria? I'm not too sure about her name but she was a wonder girl with a great personality. I can take that from you just in case she shows up here looking for it." Judy's look of amusement morphed into confusion as Nick took the jacket and hung it in his closet.

"So, how about yours?"

"My what?" Judy said as she was still trying to figure out what went wrong with the prank.

"Your date that you took home from the party. Yeah like I didn't see you in the corner mingling with that badger. What was his name again? Doug? Dave?...Damian?" A slight blush blew over her Judy's like the ice cold winds of Tundratown.

_Gotcha…_

"Yeah that's it, Damian. Sounds exotic, especially for a country bunny. Well then, tell me Officer Fluff, did he take you home or was it the other way around? Tell me…" He leaned in closer and whispered something in her ear.

"NICK!" She yelled as her face became red as the morning sun. "UGH! I-I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU WOULD ASK ME SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" She lifted her paw and slapped Nick square in the muzzle.

Nick's body did a full turn before falling to the floor, stunned by Judy's strength. He regained consciousness sprawled out on the floor as his partner stood over him. His face was pulsating and had a paw mark the size of Savannah Central from the rabbit's hand.

"Oh my god, Nick! Are you okay? Talk to me!" Judy exclaimed as she held his face, examining the paw mark she left on his muzzle.

As he began to regain consciousness, a smile grew on Nick's face and proceeded to laugh his head off, slowly rolling back and forth on the floor with his bathrobe still on.

"I-I got knocked out! By a rabbit!" he roared with laughter.

She stood there bewildered by the fox, still shocked by her strength. Judy's expression softened after she realized what Nick had been doing all along: Conning the conman. It started with a soft giggle, then a chuckle, and then slowly progressed to a hard laugh. She knew she was going to get some flak but she didn't expect it that quick. A good five minutes passed before either one of them was calm enough to speak.

"Dumb fox," said a teary-eye Judy. "I thought I killed you, for Pete's sake."

"Oh, you bunnies. So emotional. You can't get rid of me that easily," replied Nick. "I'm sorry for that. I just wanted to see if I still had my charm."

"It's fine. 'Charm' is pushing it though," she said with a half-cry, half chuckle.

"Well it's good you recognized it Detective Fluff. I don't want to get a black eye from you slapping me again, let alone get knocked out."

Judy gave him her signature eye roll. "You really know how to make a girl feel special Nick."

"I try. Now make yourself comfortable while I take a shower. I'll be out and dressed in 20 minutes."

As Nick shut the door, Judy felt solace in that filth ridden room.

_Detective? Hmm...Detective Judy Hopps. It's got a ring to it for sure. Now, can the detective find the remote?_

Judy looked under the cloths strewn across the couch, folding each one with care and placing them in the laundry hamper outside Nick's door. She eventually found the remote in between the cushions of the couch and flipped the channel to Zootopia News Network. Nothing was really on at the moment, just celebrity news, international news, weather forecasts, etc. She was flipping through her text messages on her iCarrot when a news bulletin caught her eye.

"Sad news today as tragedy struck in Zootopia. Last night, a peace rally in Savannah Square was marred by violence when a lioness was stabbed by an unidentified gazelle. The lioness, 22 year old Savannah Mauler, is in critical condition at Zootopia Vanguard Hospital. Although we weren't able to get a full report from her attending physician, eye witness accounts state that she was stabbed at least 14 times before the gazelle ran off. If you have any information on this incident please call the ZPD tip hotli-" The TV seemed to fade away as Judy's mind began to work overtime. She began theorizing what had happened, just as she was trained to do at the Academy.

What made the gazelle stab that lioness? Why weren't more officers assigned security detail for this rally? Is there still more Night Howler Serum on the streets?

Her mind was racing through scenarios like a jackrabbit with a sports car. Her ears twitched as she came up with new scenarios and her foot started to tap on the table.

Maybe Bogo has some info on this. Yeah. Most likely situation. Bogo is going to brief us at muster this morning.

"-other news, former Mayor Bellweather's sentencing trial is set for next week. She was convicted yesterday for her involvement with the savage maulings that plagued the ci-"

Boring…Bellweather's guilty as charged. She tried to kill me and frame Nick for murder. We caught her dead-to-rights and so did half the precinct, including Bogo.

She began to settle down and surfed Nick's collection of five hundred plus channels until she settled on a show she use to watch with her parents, The Bunny Bunch.

* * *

Nick proceeded to turn on his shower. It wasn't customary for long-haired mammals like him to take long showers. Just a simple soak would get most of the unwanted dirt off. His inner conscience fought with him as he stood in the hot shower and scrubbed the ruffles in his fur.

 _Well, you got the rabbit in your apartment. When you gonna get her in your room?_ His conscience sounded like a mishmash of voices he'd heard over the years. Out of the noise, he'd heard Finnick's voice as the most prominent.

_Oh shut up, Finnick._

_Come on. You know she likes it rough. She just knocked you out cold man. Don't that arouse you just a little? I know whatchu wanna do with that fuzzy little tail of her's…_

_Really? Who gave you permission to go into that part of my conscience? Sicko…she's my partner. MY PARTNER!_

_To answer the question, I am your conscience. I go wherever I please. Second: you're the sicko, stupid._

_But you don't control these paws._

_Oh those? I don't need those. You'll be doing all the work. I just feed yo thoughts._

_You're hopeless._

_And you're a hopeless romantic. When was the last time you consulted me for help in these 'matters'?_

He got out of the shower and stood in front of his body dryer; the feud continued.

_Hey, at least I have manners AND common sense. You're all animal my friend._

_Whoa there. Let's back up here; who's the animal?_

_Touché._

He shook the last bit of water from his fur, walked over to the counter top, and examined his face. Nick didn't bruise easily but he could see a bit of blue coming from his left cheek.

_Jeez. For a fluffball, she hits hard._

_Like I said; don't that getchu a little…excited?_

Nick ignored his Finnick conscience and proceeded to picked up his toothbrush and a tube labeled Cani-dyne.

_Keep your canines looking shiny and white with every application._

_Remember Nick, two minutes for each side._

_Yes Finnick…_

_You know she's not all that bad lookin' man. Especially in that uniform of her's with the curves and the-_

"OKAY FINNICK!" he screamed at his conscious with a mouthful of toothbrush.

"You say something Nick?" Judy yelled from the living room.

"No Carrotsh! I jush…almosh drop shomshing,"

"Clumsy fox!"

"Cute bunny!"

"Nick we already talked about that!"

"I know fruff!" he said as he spit the foam out of his mouth.

He stared at the uniform hanging on the bathroom door.

 _You finally made it buddy. You see what hard work can do for mammals like us?_ Finnick conscience or his sarcastic comments were nowhere to be found.

A short time later, Nick was polishing up his appearance in his new ZPD uniform. He was ecstatic. He felt like a kid again; he remembered his mother, that Junior Ranger Scouts uniform, that exhilarating first-time-feeling. Except this was different. He knew that this time, he would be accepted into a pack. He puffed out his chest and stood with a stoic expression on his face in front of his oversized mirror. Even his tail was at attention

_Damn, I look good. No, I MAKE this look good…there's a difference._

* * *

The door between the living room and Nick's bedroom squeaked open. Judy turned off the TV and looked back at a handsome fox dressed in blues slacks, a blue button up shirt, black tie, brass, and for a finishing touch, a new pair of silver Ray Birds with reflective, black lenses.

"How do I look, Carrots? Be honest, I look horrible."

"No you look just fine."

_He's more than 'just fine' in that uniform, you know._

_What am I thinking? He's a fox, I'm a rabbit. Our personalities don't mix._

_Then why are you partners?_

_Oh shush voice of reason. Anyways he looks a lot more polished with that uniform instead of his usual gray slacks and puke green Hawaiian shirt._

_Yeah you keep saying that Judy…I know your real feelings about him._

"Alright. If you're ready, I'm ready."

"You've got to be kidding me. Wilde, I was born ready. By the way, when are you going to clean your apartment? I saw at least ten safety and health code violations."

"Ah, don't pull that stuff on me Carrots. I'm not just some dumb elephant. Besides I haven't had the time to clean it, what with all the Night Howlers, and the Police Academy, and –"

"Alright, Alright I get your point…I do see your point though. You aren't a dumb elephant; you're just a dumb fox."

"Ha, ha, very funny."

"Well since the jig's up, you mind if I get my jacket back?"

"Oh so that's your jacket? Well then, you wouldn't mind if we stop off at my local coffee shop? They have a very nice Pumpkin-Pecan latte there and a Carrot Mocha that is just to die for. You in?"

She looked at the time on her phone. 6:43AM.

"Alright. We can stop off for a quick coffee but that's it. Muster starts at 7:30."

"Sounds good. I'll give you your jacket after work. We don't want to be late on our first day, do we mother."

As they walked out of Nick's apartment, a small chuckle broke the silence of the hallway.


	2. Roll Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Thank you to my current followers for sticking with me so far. I want to say thank you to Out of Pseudonyms for pointing out that the timeline in Chapter 1 was screwed up. That's been edited. More to come next week!
> 
> 6/28/16: Major rework part 2. See chapter 1 A/N for more info.

* * *

Judy's car was a bit small for an animal Nick's size but he somehow fit into the seat.

"Wow, nice ride Carrots. Whatcha do, steal it?"

"Hmph…I'll have you know that I did not steal this car. The ZPD rented it out for my trip to the Academy. Anyways, I could never afford anything like this on my salary. Nice huh?"

For a rental, it was nice. Heated seats, power windows, integrate ZPS, and a dash filled with buttons and switches that Nick longed to play with. All the windows were open to let the cool morning breeze flow through the car. Although Nick was a little cold, he didn't mind it. He felt relieved that he had a friend like her, someone that cared for him, and showed him that there's more to life than just stealing and hustling. Judy had the radio on and was mindlessly clicking through the channels.

"You know, distracted driving is frowned upon by the ZPD," stated Nick in his usual sly tone.

"Shush fox. I know the law. I am the law."

" _Have bald spots in your pelt? Try Spot Be Go-"_ click.

" _You know, I was once married to a-"_ click

_I'll keep on making those new mis-_ click.

A solo guitar accompanied by a fiddle spoke softly through the speakers erupted as Judy's hand hovered over the dial before she decided to leave the radio alone. ( **A/N: look up Wide Open Spaces by The Dixie Chicks for reference. Sorry if you don't like Country in advance** )

" _Who doesn't know what I'm talking about?_

_Who's never left home, who's never struck out_

_To find a dream and a life of their own…"_

"Ya know…I didn't always grow up loving country. I was always the hip hop and rap 'aficionado' in the family. I was a rebel as a kit."

"Really? That's a surprise, considering you're the _first_ bunny cop on the force."

"Yeah, really, as hard as it is to believe," she said as her eyes rolled. "I never really wanted…to fit in with my other brothers and sisters. But, as I grew older, I opened my ears to new frontiers. With country, every song has its own story, its own heart and soul. I mean, take this song…"

_"She traveled this road as a child_

_Wide eyed and grinning, she never tired_

_But now she won't be coming back with the rest_

_If these are life's lessons, she'll take this test…"_

"It explains a lot about my young self after I'd decided I wanted to be a cop; faithful, persistent -"

"Annoying?" interjected Nick.

"Only for you, Wilde. As I was getting at before I was rudely interrupted," Judy continued as she gave Nick the stink eye. "I mean the lyrics, the sound…they just remind me what I came from, where I came from; of home and family. You know?"

Family. Nick dug deep into his mind and heart to find an answer to the question but the words seemed to melt before they ever reached his mouth. Nick was always toying with Judy ever since they had met each other on the street, but now he was at a loss of words. She had the one part of life he didn't have; a loving family that always supported her to pursue her dreams.

"No I – I can't say I know that feeling."

From the side view mirror, Judy saw a look that she had never seen from Nick. His smirk was gone, replaced by a sullen look. His emerald eyes looked aimlessly out the window, searching for something. Anything. The silence continued for a few minutes until Nick broke it.

"Turn at the next light," said Nick.

"Nick, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything from yo –"

"No, no. It's alright Carrots. You didn't say anything wrong. I was just…thinking about something."

_Something?_ Judy thought. _Wow, he must've had some bad experiences when he was a kid. I mean after he told me about his encounter with the scouts, he's always been open to me. What makes this so different? Does he miss his old life? Or is something from his childhood bothering him?_

* * *

As Nick's eyes wandered, he tried to remember himself as a little baby fox crawling on the floor of his parent's apartment. The memories were sparse but were vivid enough. His mom was considered one of the most beautiful vixens in Zootopia. Her eyes were like Nick's, stunning emerald green pupils filled with only love for her kit. Her fur was a lighter shade of red-orange but soft as a good night's dream. Nick heard her voice and a song she used to sing to him to lull him to sleep.

' _But come ye back when summer's in the meadow_

_Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow_

_And I'll be here in sunshine or in shadow_

_Oh Nicky boy, oh Nicky boy, I love you so...'_

It sent chills down Nick's body. His hair from his neck to the pads of his feet stood on end. He struggled to keep the tears from falling down his face.

_Never let them see that they get to you, Nick! Never! She's gone and you know it._

_She's not gone! She's just…missing._

_For twenty years? She deserted you man! Left you to fend for yourself against dad._

He couldn't argue with his conscience's logic. He'd been looking for his mom ever since he could walk. From Zootopia's criminal underworld to the outlying towns in the countryside, he searched and searched but never found any trace of her besides an old photo that was mailed from a gas station about thirty miles out of town when he was fourteen years old. He hitchhiked there hoping to find a clue to where she'd gone but to no avail. The attendant at the station said that she asked him to mail the photo exactly one year after she left. Nick was furious with everyone associated with his mom. For the next seventeen years, he boiled with anger, put his mom at the back of his mind, and continued his work as a conman until Judy came around and saved him from running himself into the ground.

The photo was in his wallet but he remembered the details from looking at it non-stop as a kid. It was a faded picture of his mom and dad with masks on at Zootopia Vanguard Hospital holding their newborn kit, which looked like a little red furball. His mom was underneath the bed sheets looking very tired and exhausted while his dad leaned over the bed to get a good look at the newborn. It was a happy memory…one of the last ones he knew of.

_BEEEEEP!_

Nick was pulled back into reality as Judy cut off another driver. He looked back at her and saw that she was also in deep thought and moving extremely fast through the street.

_Oh man, oh man! What have I done!? She saw me moping and now I'm dead!_

_Hey…HEY! THINK! Just because you're moping doesn't mean she's onto you! Get her attention off whatever she's thinking before she crashes and gets you both killed!_

"HEY! EARTH TO CARROTS!" Nick was clutching the door handle with his right paw while his left grasped the side of the seat, his claws tearing into the fabric of the seat.

"SLOW! DOWN!" Judy didn't realize she was speeding until Nick started screaming his head off. She was going 50 in a 35 mph zone. The light in front of them turned from green to yellow to red. Judy hit the brakes as hard as she could, sending Nick flying into the dashboard. The tires produced loud squeals as the car slid to a stop at the white line.

"Ow… Jeez Carrots!" Nick said as he peeled his face off the dash. "You want to make sure we miss the Café? It's just on the other side of the street there."

_Perfect…nine out of ten for effort, zero for execution._

_Oh shut up._

_I'm doing a mental eye roll just so you know._

* * *

Nick pointed at an old, rundown building that looked like it hadn't been used for years. The bricks were faded and some were missing from the side of the shop. There was a crack that extended from the top of the building to the door frame that looked like it had been patched up once or twice before. The windows were covered by a thin layer of dust and security bars. The paint on the sign was faded and peeling but Judy could still make out the lettering, _Zootopia Coffee House_. Although Judy felt a little uncomfortable with the place, she was going to make it up to Nick for scaring him, not once, but twice. Not to mention asking about his past. She pulled up to the curb and put the car in park. Nick got out of the car first but waited for his partner to accompany him into the café. What Judy saw next amazed her.

Although the exterior was worn and deteriorated, this café was one of the classiest she'd ever been in. The hardwood floor was cold, yet felt pleasant on the pads of her feet. Judy's nose and ears twitched as the aroma of freshly ground coffee filled the air around the two officers; ceiling fans spun lazily in their never ending circles and a chef pulled a tray of warm pastries from the furnace in the bakery across from the bar. The walls were brick face inside too but were a more vibrant shade of red than the old weathered ones on the outside.

"Hi there officers and welcome to the Zootopia Coffee House," the lynx behind the café counter announced cheerfully. "What can I ge – Nick?! Is that you?"

"Yeah it's me Priscilla. How's the old place been?"

"Oh it's going great. We just redid the interior a few months ago. Isn't it amazing what a coat of paint, some hardwood, and new brick can do?"

"Yeah it is."

"Where have you been for the past five months? You came in here almost every day and then you just disappear? I was going to call the police if it got past six months."

"Well that wouldn't have done any good since I was working for them."

"Ehem," interjected Judy as she looked at her phone to check the time.

"Oh where are my manners," said Nick sarcastically as his all too familiar smirk came back to his face. "This is my partner, Officer Fluff."

"Hello Priscilla. Nice to me – my name is NOT Officer Fluff!" Nick caught a glance of her death stare and decided maybe it wasn't the right idea to look her in the face. After all, there was matter of a certain fox having a glass jaw.

"My name's Judy Hopps. It's a pleasure to meet you. Can we order? Sorry, but we are in a bit of a hurry." Judy knew that it sounded harsh but they only had twenty-five minutes to get to the station and from here it was a twenty minute drive.

"Oh! Oh, right. Official police business. So, what can I get for you two?"

"One pumpkin-pecan latte for me and one carrot macchiato for my partner, Priscilla."

"Sure thing Nick."

The lynx was quicker than most baristas Nick had seen in Zootopia. Her movements were swift and precise behind the counter never missing a step or a beat. 'Elegance incognito' could best describe her actions. Underneath that soft exterior was a hardened cat, her childhood almost as rough as Nick's.

"So when'd you graduate Nick?"

"Huh?" Nick was still in deep thought when Priscilla asked him the question. "You say something, P?

"I said 'When did you graduate?' And don't use that nickname. That's just…old school," she giggled.

"Well, _P_ …" her eyes rolled but a smile was still visible. "I actually graduated on Saturday. My first day wasn't supposed to be until Wednesday but the City Council and the ZPD asked me to come in today to 'be a shining example of hard work and discipline to all citizens of Zootopia.' You know. Politics."

"Yeah, I hate politics with a burning passion," stated Priscilla.

"You and I both. But it landed me this job, so I'm not complaining."

"So…," interjected Judy. "How do you guys know each other?"

"Well Carrots, long story short, we were living in the same apartment complex. In fact, correct me if I'm wrong P, but I think we lived on the same floor."

"Yep, right across from each other."

"Is that so? Wow, it's been so long. Twenty-seven years?"

"Thirty years."

"Yeesh, I feel so old. Anyways for years, our parents would talk in the hallway while we played in front of them. Our families were the best of friends."

"Until that day…"

Both Nick's and Priscilla's expression hardened at the mention of 'that day.' They both dismissed the conversation right then and there. While Priscilla went back to putting the finishing touches on their coffees, Nick's returned to his brooding mood Judy saw in the car. She wanted to get more information from Priscilla but knew it wasn't the right time.

_The mention of his family, that day; they all make him uncomfortable. What is he hiding? What pushed him to become a –_

"Well here you go Nick!" Priscilla interrupted. "One carrot macchiato and one pumpkin-pecan latte for you and your partner."

"Go ahead and wait in the car. I'll pay for this one," said Judy. She wanted to ask Priscilla some questions about Nick but Judy needed him to leave. She didn't want a repeat of what happened this morning.

"You sure Judy? I still have to pay you back for that jumbo pop," asked Nick.

"Yeah I'm sure. Just get out here you dumb fox! I don't want to have to drag you out of here in front of your girlfriend." Both Nick and Priscilla were blushing to the point where they almost turned pink.

"Nah, I think I'll stay here until you pay, Carrots. To back up my partner."

_Crackerjacks._

"So how much for the coffee?" Judy asked.

"$8.72," replied Priscilla.

Judy fumbled around with her pant pockets until she found her wallet. She pulled out a ten and gave it to the barista. A few moments and a couple beeps later, she rung up the bill.

"Alright, $1.28 is your change. Here's your receipt."

"Thanks."

As the two were walking towards the door, Judy noticed writing on the back of the receipt. She turned it over and saw a phone number. She looked back at the barista who made a _call me_ gesture.

"Have a nice day, P."

"You too Nick. Pleasure to meet you Judy!"

"Likewise."

They got into the car and continued their trip towards Precinct One. They encountered very few drivers on the way to the precinct and made it with 15 minutes to spare. They pulled around to the back and made their way into a large underground complex. A rookie might've thought it was just a regular parking garage but little did they know that it housed the ZPD's main vehicle depot for the 12 districts. Hundreds of reserve vehicles waiting for a chance to roar to life and take to the streets.

The motor pool was busy today. The department had just received a new shipment of trucks and were getting them ready for service. Instead of the typical black and white ZPD livery, they were all forest green and had very little in the manner of identification markings. The officers pulled up to the rental drop off area where Zed Woodchuck, the head of the motor pool, was waiting for them. Zed was a groundhog that stood half a head taller than Judy and was much wider, too. Although he was a bit crass, there was no one better to talk to if you needed a car fixed.

"Hey Judy!" bellowed Zed. "Good to see you brought this one back in one piece. I was beginning to worry that –"

"Would never see it again?" chimed in Judy.

"– the department would have to pay for damages to public property."

"You aren't going to let that go, are you? Well, in my defense, the guy I was chasing did try to drive me off the road, so…yeah. I think I was justified. Besides, this is a rental, not a cop car."

"Hey, you're not the only one they chewed out for that chase."

"Well, thank goodness we're on the same page."

"And the same team for that matter," chuckled Zed with Judy following suit. "Hey Judy, who's your friend?"

"This is my new partner, Officer Nicolas Wilde."

"Wilde huh? Well, let me be the first to say welcome to the ZPD Officer Wilde," Zed said as he stretched out hand.

"Just call me Nick," the fox said as he reached return the handshake. "And uh…sorry but, you're the second one to say that today."

Zed burst out laughing, his bellowing chortles echoed through the depot. "I'm gonna like this guy! Ju-Ju-Judy chose a real stunner too!" wheezed Zed as he continued to laugh for what seemed like a lifetime. Nick didn't seem to think his comment was that funny but he went with it.

"Oh boy! Haven't had a laugh like that for years now."

"So what's with the new trucks?" asked Judy as she pointed to the unidentified cars.

"What, the Bearcats over there? Yeah, fifteen of 'em just came in this morning. They're real beauties aren't they? We're supposed to have another shipment of ten in the next couple of weeks. If you think the Cobras are nice, wait 'til you see how she handles. Why I eve–"

"Hey Zed," interrupted Nick, looking down at his watch. "Sorry for interrupting but we're in a bit of a hurry. Roll call's in about seven minutes and this is…you know. First day so…"

"Oh right! Wouldn't want to make the chief furious for being late on the first day. You two know how to get out of here?"

"No, not really."

"Well then, I'll lead you guys to the elevators but after that I won't hold your hand. After all, you two _are_ grown-ups."

"Really? I've never noticed. Especially from Carrots over there. She doesn't even act half her age."

"Well keep her out of trouble for me, huh?"

"Will do. HEY CARROTS! YOU COMING?" yelled out Nick as Zed neared the open garage doors of the motor pool.

"Yeah! I need to check the car first before I head up! Don't want to forget anything!"

"Alright, I'll save a spot for you!"

* * *

"Carrots?" Zed snickered.

"Yeah…been calling her that since the day we met among other things."

"Since you met?"

"Yeah. We worked the Otterton case and the Nighthowler case together before I became an officer."

Zed grunted, "So you've had a prestigious career even before you started to work for the ZPD. She have any nicknames for you yet?"

"Not yet. She tried to use 'Wilde Side' when I was at the academy but it never stuck."

They both chuckled as they made their way through the garage. It was quite spacious with sixteen stations complete with all the equipment a mechanic could need for general maintenance and repair. Most, if not all the stations were busy today. Some cars were in for routine maintenance, others for inspection.

"Nice operation you guys have here," said Nick.

"Thanks. We don't get many visitors down here and it's wonderful to see one every once in a while and –"

' _Hey, Hey, HEY!'_

' _WATCHIT, WATCHIT!'_

' _IT'S COMING DOWN!'_

Screaming echoed from one the stations in the distance, followed by a huge crash.

"Is everyone alright?" yelled the groundhog.

' _Yeah Chief! New guy tried to lift a car before checking the lift points.'_

"Hey I need to take care of this. Elevator's straight ahead."

"You sure you got this?"

"Yeah just go! Gawd dangit Bobby, I told you to check the points BEFORE you lifted it!"

Nick proceeded to head to the lobby area where the bullpen was located.

* * *

Judy returned to the car and sat in the driver's seat, staring at the receipt like it was gold.

_This could be my only chance at finding out what happened with Nick way back when. But doing this behind his back…how could I do it? I mean he's my partner now. What if he thinks that I'm untrustworthy, that I'm…_

She couldn't describe the feeling of losing her partner over a past that couldn't be prevented. To get into the mind of a criminal is one thing. Getting into the mind of your partner is a whole different ball game. She stuffed the receipt into the pocket of her vest and began making her way upstairs towards the bullpen when a huge crashing noise erupted from inside the motor pool. She ran in to see a cruiser flipped on its side, stuck halfway into the oil pit.

Zed was yelling at a lanky boar whose guilt ridden face was only half the story. "How many times do I have to tell you! DON'T. LIFT. WITHOUT. CHECKING!"

"But chief –"

"Don't 'But chief' me! I've told you three times already! How am I gonna explain this to Bogo?"

The gopher let out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't know but this is going into my incident report. Now clean up this mess. The rest of you, get back to work!"

Mammals ran off in all directions while Judy was walking towards an extremely agitated Zed.

"You two, get the wrecker. NOT you, Bobby."

"Hey Zed."

"Oh…Hey Judy."

"Zed, do you know where the elevator is by chance?"

"Hmm? Oh yeah its all the down at the other end of the motor pool. Just keep walking down this main road and you'll find it. If you want I can escort you over there an –"

"No it's fine Zed. Looks like you have a lot to do here," she interjected looking at the totaled cruiser.

"Well alright if you insist."

Nick was already there when Judy arrived. He'd saved her half a seat since all the others were taken by her squad mates. As soon as she jumped up on the chair, Chief Bogo entered. Customary howling, hooting, and banging filled the room as the old bull walked towards the podium.

"Alright, alright, settle down! QUIET!" The room fell silent. A career officer of more than forty years, Bogo's hardened exterior made for more than just a good story; it was the stuff of legends. He was the first ever ZPD officer to have a predator as a partner, cracked one of the biggest smuggling rings in Zootopian history as a beat cop, and broke the record of youngest police chief by ten years. He'd seen a lot of action in those days and everyone respected him for both his experience and leadership in the ZPD.

"Several items on the docket today: First, we have some new recruits with us this morning that I'm not going to introduce, due to the fact that 'I don't care.'" A snicker fell over the room but was quieted by the chief's famous stare.

"I think that was a wonderful introduction chief. I think you need to do more motivation speeches in the future," jested Nick.

"Shut it, Wilde!" barked Bogo. "Anyways, next up on the list; some of you might've heard it on the news this morning but to reiterate, a lioness by the name of Savannah Mauler was stabbed in Savannah Central Park last night at approximately 21:30 hundred hours. Miss Mauler's doing better but still in critical condition over at ZVH. The suspect is described as a middle-aged male gazelle, roughly six foot, two inches in height, last seen running north on Acadia Boulevard. Precincts five and seven have been conducting sweeps of the surrounding area since 22:00 hundred hours. Now we have not ruled out the possibility that Nighthowler serum may be involved with this mess, so be on your toes out there. Remember, this animal is armed and extremely dangerous and will most likely attack again." Bogo was right about to worry about the Nighthowlers. Even months after the arrest of Mayor Bellweather, stockpiles of serum and air guns were still being found by the ZPD, much to the disgust of Chief Bogo.

"Assignments: Mchorn, Rhinowitz, Wolfard; your teams will relieve search parties in the northern and western quadrants of the containment area. Higgins, Snarlov, Trunkaby; your teams will relieve the southern and eastern quadrants. Grizzoli, Fengmeyer, Delgato; your teams are to meet with SWAT at the park. They need a fresh set of eyes to look at the crime scene. Hopps, Wilde; you two head over to ZVH and see if you can talk to Miss Mauler. We've got sketch artists on standby at the hospital when she's ready to talk to us. The rest of you, get out on patrol! DISMISSED! Wilde! Hopps! Meet me in my office."

The duo waited for everyone to leave, then proceeded to walk up to Chief Bogo's office. Most of the time, if Bogo wanted to see you, you were probably in whole lot of trouble. The thing was they didn't know what for. As they neared the door, both officers looked at each other with distressed looks on their faces.

" _So you want to knock, Carrots?_ " whispered Nick.

" _Me?! Why me?_ "

" _Because seniority, Officer Fluff._ "

" _Seniority? Well you need the experience more than I do!_ "

" _Experience?! How much experience does it ta –_ " Just then the door opened, a tall figure cast a shadow over the two officers.

"Chief!" exclaimed Nick. "We…were just talking about you with your soft complexion and great personality."

"Shut it, Wilde." A smirk grew on Chief Bogo's face. "Come on in."

As Bogo shut the door behind the officers, they took their seats in the cold, wooden chairs in front of the menacingly tall desk. An unfriendly silence took to the room.

"Do you know why I called you two in today?" asked Bogo, breaking the silence.

Both Judy and Nick shook their heads and responded "No, sir." Nick was awestruck by the gentleness in his voice.

_For a tough guy, he sure knows how to talk. I guess he's taken more than a few trips around the block_.

"Well," continued Bogo "you two are the only officers in the precinct that haven't…experienced this sort of investigation before. I know you two worked on the Nighthowler case but that was different. I want you to know things will get dicey from here on out. Trust me, I know. Can I trust you two to keep an eye on each other at all times? If not, there's no shame in asking me to assign another team to the case."

"To be honest, sir, I've seen some pretty horrible stuff when I was working the streets. If this case is something like that, I think I'll be fine," stated Nick. "Now, Officer Hopps on the other hand…"

"Nick, I can speak for myself," interjected Judy. "Sir, I've seen what Nick is capable of and Nick has seen what I'm capable of. In my opinion, I don't think we're going to need back down from this investigation. Besides, if nighthowlers are involved, we're the only two that are intimately familiar with the case."

_Well spoken Carrots. Couldn't have said it any better._

A look of content filled the old buffalo's face.

"Well then Hopps. I better let you officers continue with your investigation then. Dismissed."

Nick and Judy stood up, saluted the Chief, and walked out of his office. Although he was content with what Judy said, Chief Bogo couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something big was coming. Something bigger than the city's ever seen before.


	3. The Hunter

* * *

"Nice save, Carrots," remarked Nick. "Seems like Bogo has a soft spot for you. You sure he's a massive pain to deal with?"

"Yeah I'm sure. But only for officers that he thinks can't or won't do their jobs. Most of the time he's right."

"Yeah, most of the time," Nick commented with respect towards Judy. No cop in the department had faith in Judy when she took the Otterton case, Bogo included. She'd defied all odds when she went out and solved not only it, but the Nighthowler case that followed.

"So how's the leg? Holding up okay?" asked Nick.

"Eh…it's doing fine. I've got a small scar where the cut was but that's about it. Thank goodness it's small enough that the fur's growing over it. Sometimes, I need to ice it down to relieve the swelling after a long day on the beat. If you want, I can show you it later." Judy realized what she'd just said and turned bright pink.

"Whoa Carrots! I didn't even know you were into _that stuff_. We haven't even gone on our first date yet and you want to take your clothes off," he snickered as a massive smile grew on his face.

Just then a sharp pain shot from his left arm; Judy punched him with all the force she could muster.

"Ow!"

"And that was only my left," Judy stated.

"If that's your left, then I'm in trouble," Nick uttered as he rubbed his arm, still numb from the punch.

The two officers made their way downstairs towards reception to pick up the the keys for their cruiser. A heavy-set cheetah sat at the desk, which was covered with candy wrappers, half eaten food, and Gazelle merchandise.

"Hey Clawhauser,"greeted Judy. He was eating cereal when he turned around, each crunch making Judy's ears twitch.

"Oh-emm-goodness! Judy welcome back!" he said as he swallowed. "How was the Academy? Was it nice? You see the new update to the Gaze –"

"Clawhauser…you're doing it again," Judy said as she started to smile at the Cheetah.

Clawhauser was special; he had a glow to his eyes every single morning she saw him, his demeanor was always the same no matter what happened. Always cheerful, always reliable. Even after five months on the job, she couldn't seem to understand how an animal could be so cheerful when he probably had one of the most boring jobs in the department.

"OH! I am sooo sorry Judy. I didn't mean to be rude. It's just –"

Judy chuckled. "There's no need to apologize Ben. Oh! I got you something from the academy." She pulled out what looked like a picture from one of the pockets of her vest. "Here you go."

As she handed it to Ben, Nick took a closer look. It was a post card of the front gate with the administration building in the background and bright yellow text that said _Zootopia Police Academy_. _One Cadet at a Time_.

Clawhauser was ecstatic. "Oh Judy! This is Perfect! Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou, Thankyou!"

"No problem. Say, I need the keys for my cruiser. Do you still have 'em on hand by chance?"

"Umm…let me see here…" The cheetah cleaned off his hands and rummaged through his overstuffed drawers. "Gazelle CD…Gazelle poster…Gazelle tape…AH HA! There you are, yah little dickens! Here are your keys. Cruiser's in the same parking spot you left it." As he handed Judy the keys, he asked, "I've heard rumors about 'the Great Judy Hopps' getting a new partner. Is this him?"

"Yeah, it's him."

"Officer Nick Wilde," said Nick. "But you just call me Nick."

"Nice to meet you, Nick!"

"It's been pleasant Ben but we've got to get going. Gazelle stabbed a lioness last night. Bogo wants us to check in on the victim."

"Oof…sounds heavy. Well good luck you two!"

 _Aw…they're a cute couple_ thought Clawhauser as the officers made their way toward the door. Nick took the last sip of his coffee before throwing it into a trash bin by the door. His headache was all but gone, thanks to the miracles of coffee. Judy had a facepalm moment when she realized she'd left her coffee in the rental car during the commotion in the motor pool.

"Something wrong Carrots?" asked Nick.

"Oh…I left my coffee in the car. Good coffee too."

"Told you. Best coffee in the district. Well don't hurt yourself over it McFluff. Wouldn't want you to tear your own head off with those pred-paws of yours," said Nick, referring to the abuse inflicted by Judy from the morning.

The two walked through the revolving doors and appeared on the outside. The sun was above the buildings now, showing its full intensity. Nick looked back to see Precinct 1 bathing in the sunlight. The reflection was so bright, it blinded him through his aviators. He couldn't believe his luck. He was assigned with the best of the best in the ZPD and had a familiar face as a partner. Granted, she almost killed him this morning but it was one nuance he could deal with.

"Come on. You earned the slap this morning, vulgar fox," retorted Judy

"Do I know that? Yes…yes I do," agreed the wily fox.

They walked to lot C where Judy's cruiser was parked. It was an older model Crown Cobra, one of the most distinguished and easily recognizable vehicles in service. Judy proceeded to unlock the doors of the cruiser and the two officers climbed up into the seats. The cruiser sputtered to life as Judy turned the key in the ignition. She put the cruiser in drive, pulled out of the parking spot, and maneuvered the beast towards the exit. She picked up the handheld mic and placed it near her mouth, holding down the button.

"Whiskey-7-Zulu now 10-8. Proceeding on patrol route to Zootopia Vanguard Hospital."

Clawhauser's voice came over the radio, _'Copy Whisky-7-Zulu. Proceed to 2142 Herd Street.'_

"So what happened down in the motor pool?" asked Nick as Judy placed the mic back on the peg.

"A cruiser fell off one of the lifts and impaled itself into the oil pit," responded Judy.

"Yeesh, it sounded bad from the other end of the garage. Didn't know it was _that_ bad. Anyone get hurt?"

"No surprisingly enough. I saw a hyena getting yelled at by Zed though. I've never seen him that mad before. I thought I'd seen the dark side of him when I wrecked that cruiser."

"You could say he was beyond _hopping mad_ ," Nick giggled.

"Ha ha…funny," said Judy dryly.

"By the way, you and Zed was talking about some sort of accident you were in?"

"Well…" she started. "It's kind of a long story. But to make it short, I was working the night shift for highway patrol about a month back. A driver blew through my speed trap at 120 mph, so I went after him. He doesn't yield to the lights and proceeds to lead me on a 20 minute chase through Tundratown and the Rainforest District before trying to throw me off the side of a cliff. You know the rest; huge wreck, overturned cars, a furious Bogo, et cetera. Turns out, the guy was transporting a trunk full of Nip for the Rio Lobos."

"Heh…wolves. Wait, I thought the Lobos moved out of the city after that big bust a couple years ago?"

"City hall thought so too. Anyways we got the location from their courier; he said there was a shack out in the marshlands that was their main base of operations. SWAT went to hit their grow house a couple nights ago and found about seven tons of Nip being loaded onto semi-trucks. Seven tons! One of the guys said street value was five million dollars."

The streets were now full of life as Nick and Judy made their way to the hospital. Traffic miles long clogged the streets of downtown. At one point, Judy was tempted to use the sirens to make the journey less of a hassle. But, as usual, logic prevailed as it was a fragrant misuse of ZPD equipment. Radio chatter filled the cruiser of a traffic accident about five blocks ahead of them.

' _ZT-401, this is Victor-12-Charlie. How copy?'_

' _Victor-12-Charlie, 10-2. Transmit message.'_

' _We have a multiple TC at the corner of Main and 61_ _st_ _. Roll 11-41.'_

' _10-4…Victor-12-Charlie, ambulances have rolled. ETA: 5 minutes.'_

' _10-4.'_

"Sounds like they need some help," remarked Nick as he listened intently to the radio.

"Wait for it…"

' _Victor-5-Charlie responding to 10-50 from 61_ _st_ _and Sheldon. ETA: 2 minutes.'_

' _Kilo-7-Charlie responding to 10-50 from Kilimanjaro and 54_ _th_ _. ETA: 4 minutes'_

' _10-4, all other units responding to 10-50, disregard.'_

"Naw, I think they've got it in hand. Besides, hospital's up ahead on the right," said Judy.

A gleaming white and silver building appeared in front of the cruiser. Zootopia Vanguard Hospital was a ten story building that could house, at max capacity, 750 patients. It was one of the city's oldest standing hospitals and needed an overhaul. After the Nighthowler scare, the city decided to bolster its medical facilities, starting with ZVH due to it being centrally located at the heart of downtown. Judy parked the cruiser near the front door.

"Wow…haven't been here in years," marveled the fox as he strained his neck to inspect the gleaming building as they walked in.

The doors opened to a large open area covered by glossy marble tile, which glistened due to the sun. In the middle, there was a ten to twelve foot statue of a very muscular lion and a zebra shaking hands, commemorating the peace and tranquility forged by their ancestors. Underneath the statue was a plaque which said, 'At the Forefront of the Fight between Life and Death.' They continued to walk for what seemed like miles before they found the reception desk. Behind it sat a Minx, furiously typing something on her computer.

"Welcome to Zootopia Vanguard Hospital," said the minx. "Do you have an appointment, officers?"

"Um…no, ma'am. We need to speak with a Savannah Mauler about a case. We just need her room number and floor," replied Judy.

"Alright, give me one moment." Her fingers typed furiously as she pulled up the database of admitted patients. "Ah. Here she is. Room 695, floor 10."

"Thank you."

Although still under construction, the hospitals' interior was almost completely finished. Apart from the few pieces of scaffolding and unpainted sections of hallways, the hospital radiated a warm and welcoming feeling.

"You know Carrots; I've had my fair share of visits to this hospital before."

"Really? Tell me; was it because you wouldn't give a Pawpsicle to a hamster?"

"Come on. Don't blame me for buying that jumbo pop. I wanted to pay you back this morning but you said no. Can't blame a guy for trying. Besides, most of those visits were…job related." Judy gave Nick her signature eye roll and chuckled.

"Uh huh…," she responded as they boarded the elevator.

' _Going up.'_

_Job related my tail. Most of those visits were either from deals gone wrong or colleagues calling for help in the middle of the night. You're lucky we came out of them with only scratches and bruises. You could've gotten yourself killed Wilde._

_But I didn't. And that's what matters Mr. Finnick Conscience. By the way, did we turn off the TV?_

_Don't you dare try that on me…you know what? Fine. Distract yourself from the reality that could've been. Like I give a crap. And yes, Judy turned off the TV. By the way, Finnick Conscience…not working._

The 10th floor was buzzing. Nurses carrying bed sheets and rolling carts filled with medicine ran about, doctors were on the phone getting ready for patients. Across from the nurses' station was an all too familiar face for Judy.

"Felix!" she yelled over the commotion. The panther looked startled as he scanned the room for who said his name. He spotted Judy and waved at the two officers as they strode towards him. He was dressed in typical downtown SWAT camouflage; a loose uniform of dark navy blue mixed with highlights of light gray, dark gray and black. His pants were tucked into his shiny, calf-high black boots. Over the top of his uniform, he wore a black Kevlar vest with multiple pouches, a holstered tranquilizer pistol, and to top it all off, a black beret with a strange patch sewed onto the brim. As they walked closer, the ID tag on his vest come into focus: _Von Jäger_.

The panther spoke with a very thick German accent, "Judy! If it isn't my favorite rabbit. How can I be of assistance today?"

"We just need to see Miss Mauler and take her statement about the attack last night."

"Be my guest. Her doctor's in there as well."

"Thanks," said Judy as Von Jäger held the door open for the two officers.

The door shut with a soft click behind them. The hospital room was quiet except for the constant beeping of the heart monitor and the soft messages of dispatch broadcasting from Nick and Judy's radio. They switched their radios off and proceeded into the room. Next to the bed stood a rather tall, white arctic wolf wearing a doctor's coat with a clipboard in her hand. She was whispering to the victim as they walked towards the bed.

"Who is it?" inquired the doctor.

"ZPD, Doctor…"

"Vulpes. Dr. Diana Vulpes."

"Pleasure to meet you doctor. I am Officer Judy Hopps. This is my partner, Nick Wilde."

"It's an honor, Ma'am," replied Nick.

"I assume you're here to talk to my patient?"

"Yes, we ha –"

"Well sorry to break the news to you officers but she's in no condition to talk. She suffered a punctured lung and three broken ribs, along with multiple stab wounds to the arms and abdomen. Thankfully, no other vital organs were hit in the attack. We've put her on assisted breathing, as well as tranquilizers to help with the pain." her facial expression blank as she told the officers of the lioness's condition.

"She'll be up in a few days' time, but for now she needs to rest. You know, she would've died on the way to the hospital if it weren't for that officer outside the door. His patch work was crude but very effective."

"Hold on," Nick spoke out. "You were just talking to her a second ago."

"Yes, I was talking to her but she felt very tired and wanted to sleep for a little."

"Well then. If she's still up, we can talk to her." Nick began to push past Dr. Vulpes but Judy grabbed his arm and held him back.

"Alright, doctor. Thank you for your time. After she wakes up, tell her that the ZPD was here to get her statement but didn't want to disturb her rest. Here's my number." Judy handed a business card containing all her contact information to .

"I will," the doctor responded as she placed the card on the lioness's food tray.

" _Well that was quick_ ," whispered Nick as they opened the door.

" _Nick, you're an officer of the law now_ ," Judy whispered back. She shut the door behind them and proceeded to give Nick a lecture on being a police officer. He swung his tail to try to avoid listening to Judy, but to no avail. "You can't just go in there all willy-nilly and demand that you see the victim or perpetrator. This is their domain. Not ours. You have to play by their rules or you risk your career."

"Fluff, she was up. We need a description." Nick was right about one thing they needed a facial description of the gazelle that attacked her.

"Look. I know you want to be the best fox on the force. You feel like you've got something to prove. I know that feeling but please, stay out of trouble. For your sake. Besides she had a breathing tube in her mouth. It's not like she could have spoken with us."

Nick smirked and chuckled a little, "Alright carrots. I'll play nice."

Felix was at the nurses' station flirting with one of the younger female black panthers when she was pulled away by another nurse. He looked back at the two whilst they were having their little argument.

"So? How'd the interview go?" asked Felix.

"Terrible. The star of the show wasn't even up," responded Nick as he reached for his belt to turn his radio back on.

"What? She was wide awake this morning I talked with her before the doctor came in and kicked me out. Hmm…must be the pain medication."

"And that tube they put in her mouth might also do the trick." Judy looked at him again with the death stare.

"The doctor said that 'if it weren't for you, the victim would have died in transit to the hospital.' What does she mean?" she inquired.

"Hmm? Oh yes. You remember I told you I was a soldier, Judy?" asked Von Jäger.

Judy shook her head yes.

"Well, I was a medic for the Animalia Defense Force; more specifically their SOP group. I'm…not allowed to go into detail but I've seen enough bloodshed to last three lifetimes. Anyways, I'm on the west side of the rally running security with a bunch of other off duty cops when I hear screaming coming from the other side. I run over to find the perp standing over the victim with a bloody knife in his hands. I pull out my pistol to tranq him but he drops the knife and bolts before I get my sights on him." Von Jäger's expression hardened.

"You know. After all those years in the service, I still never got used to the blood, the killing, the violence. Nevertheless, I got to work. She was breathing very shallow and knew right away that one of the lungs was collapsed. Thankfully I was carrying around my old medic bag, so I dug for a syringe and duck tape."

"Duck tape?" interrupted Nick.

"Yeah I know it sounds weird but that stuff sticks to fur better than that gorilla bond crap. Continuing on; I cleaned the wounds, stuck the tape over them and used the syringe to suck the air out of the chest. I knew it worked because as soon as I sucked the air out, she let out a huge gasp and came around. I was bandaging her arms when the ambulance came and took her to the hospital."

"Officer Hopps? Can I talk to you for a minute if you're not busy?" interjected the doctor as she closed the door behind her.

"Yeah doc."

The two officers walked with the doctor to an empty room. Judy was the first one in, followed by Vulpes. Before Nick could walk in, the doctor's hand reached out and stopped him from entering.

"Sorry, but I need to speak with _your partner_. Not you," the doctor stated coldly as she shut the door.

The Dr. Vulpes and Judy walk to a recently vacated room in ICU. She shut the door violently behind them and took a second before she faced Judy. Her face was emotionless as she began to speak.

"Officer Hopps, I'm sorry I have to be the first one to tell you this but we've found traces of Midnicampum holicithias in Ms. Maulers' bloodstream."

"What?" exclaimed Judy.

_How? The City Hall cracked down on that stuff. It's illegal to sell Night Howlers inside the city limits now._

"We don't know the source but our lab's analyzing her blood as we speak. We should know within the hour what she's been doing."

"Wait…where's Nick?

"Who?" the doctor said unenthusiastically.

"My partner, Officer Wilde. I thought he came in here with us?"

"I left… _that fox_ outside. I can tell he's new aro –"

"You WHAT?! _That FOX_ happens to be one of the two animals who solved that case!"

"Officer Hopps, he is a brash, self-loathing, primal animal that –"

"That happens to be _my partner_ ," interjected Judy. She became more and more agitated with the arctic wolf from the ghastly comments made about Nick. Her heart was beating rapidly and her breaths were shallow and loud. The doctor's apathetic tone of voice and facial expressions weren't helping to calm Judy down either.

"He deserves to be here, to know what's going on to…you know what? Fine. How about this; you send a sample of Ms. Maulers' blood to ZPD Forensics and your analysis to my chief. The ZPD will take it from here," asserted Judy coldly.

"Fine," responded the wolf in that same apathetic tone.

_KNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCKKNOCK_

"Did I rub you the wrong way?" Nick remarked. The wolf growled at him before slamming the door in his face.

_Nice doctor. Remind me not to have her do brain surgery on me Finncience._

_Nope. Still doesn't work._

"What was that all about?" asked Felix.

"Ah…I think one of the doctors is madly in love with me. Sadly she's not my type. Anyways back to you. Sounds like you had a rough night. Probably even worse than mine." Nick placed his paw on his temples as a headache erupted from the center of his brain.

"Naw, I like to work at night anyways...hangover?"

"Ye – wait. How'd you know?"

"I was a medic for six years. I can spot a hangover from miles away…don't ask. My suggestion: lots of water and some juice or some fruit. Something with some potassium in it; like a banana."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mi –"

A radio message rang out from Nick's radio.

' _All units, be advised. We've just received a tip matching suspect's description. Last known location; JCPiggies department store. Corner of Acacia and Main.'_

"Well that's us. Hey Felix, I've got to go. Thanks for the tips," he yelled as he ran towards the closed ICU door. He knocked five times before opening the door. Inside, he found both Judy and Dr. Vulpes staring each other down, only breaking eye contact when Nick ran in.

"Hey Judy! They found our guy. Acacia and Main. How far is that from here?"

Judy's whole demeanor changed when Nick mentioned the word suspect. "About fifteen minutes away. Six with the lights on."

"Alright I'll call it in." Nick unhooked the radio from his belt and lifted it up to his muzzle.

" _ZT-401, this is Victor-7-Zulu. Responding to 10-14 from ZVH. ETA: 6 minutes"_

' _Copy, Victor-7-Zulu.'_

A huge grin swept across his face. _I've always wanted to do that._

The two officers raced for the elevator as the doors were closing.


	4. The Prodigal Son

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's notes: After doing some tweeks to the story line and adding depth to Judy and Nick, I am now happy to present Chapter 4 of To Walk the Fine Line. Yes it's a short chapter...introducing the two most hated OC in Zootopia but stick around. There's more to it than what meets the eye. I've seen a lot of WildeHopps but not much of SavageFawkes so I'm definitely exploring that. I don't know when Chapter 5 is coming out but I don't think it will be any time soon. Part 2 to come out next week. Anyways, enjoy!
> 
> Edit: NO PART 2

* * *

_Location: Anipolis, Middle Beast_  
Local Time: 22:14  
Assets: Name Unknown…

* * *

The remnants of the sun's warming rays vanished as the city plunged into a deep slumber. The usually busy streets were strangely empty tonight except for a couple of peacekeepers on patrol. The two wolves were talking in a foreign language similar to Arabic; they mentioned something about a riot in the heart of downtown that was headed their direction. Out of the darkness walked a form about three to four feet in height. The night seemed to swallow the street behind the figure as it approached the two wolves.

"You there, halt!" exclaimed the dark gray wolf on the left. They both drew their stun rifles and approached the unknown animal; their ears lay flat against their heads while they stalked slowly towards . "Paws where we can see them!"

The figure took his paws out of his pockets and placed them out to the side. The peacekeepers slowly approached the figure and flicked their lights on. The rabbit was dressed in an all-black suit, white dress shirt, and black tie. He had light gray fur and three black stripes that started at his cheeks and continued to the back of his head. A look of amusement was apparent as light flooded his face. A feeling of terror struck one of the wolves as he immediately shouldered his weapon.

"Sir!" exclaimed the lead wolf. His paw went up in salute towards the buck. His partner, confused by the whole ordeal, copied the actions of his partner.

"Evening Lieutenant…Sergeant," he responded in a smart British accent. He followed suit by returning the salute.

"Quiet night, isn't it?" The buck began walking towards the bright lights of the city skyline and walked in step behind the two wolves.

"Yes, sir. The whole city's on curfew until further notice. We've got patrols working their ways around the suburbs and parts of lower downtown. We have a situation in downtown but response teams are inbound as we speak," stated the lieutenant.

"That sounds just fine. You know, if someone asked me if this police force was capable of defending its citizens six months ago, I would have said 'These buffoons can't even open a can of soda without it being a complete mess.' Well look at you now."

"We couldn't have done it without you Mr. Savage, sir."

"Please, call me Jack."

"Well then, on behalf of the Anipolis Police Department, we owe you our thanks Jack. You are a welcome guest anytime."

"Wait, I thought you left last night," commented the Sergeant. The buck stopped in his tracks as the two wolves wandered further away from him. They walked another fifteen feet before stopping to turn around and look for their missing comrade.

"Ah! Don't bother him with stuff like that Muhowlmed. You know that the…Sir? What's wrong?" the lieutenant asked as he and his partner turned around to face the buck. Jack stood where he stopped and gazed at the skyline of Anipolis, his right paw slowly reaching for a concealed tranquilizer pistol hidden in the small of his back.

"I'm sorry to have to do this to you gentlemammals, but you are becoming quite the bother," he said dryly.

Jack's hand grasped the grip on the pistol firmly and pulled it out in one swift motion. The wolves were thrown aback by the audacity of their so called 'friend.' Jack took his time to line up the shot and pulled the trigger. The dart hit the lieutenant in the center of his chest and pierced his Kevlar vest like it was butter. The needle hit the meaty flesh and injected the serum into his body. It worked fast as the lieutenant barely had time to react before he fell to the ground, his body convulsing and twitching as the serum made its way through the nervous system. Muhowlmed looked in horror as his partner slowly died before his eyes. He snapped himself back to reality and unshouldered his stun rifle, aiming the barrel to where the buck was standing. He recoiled as Jack had disappeared. The sergeant looked around violently before reaching for his radio.

"This is Bravo 2-5. Command, do you copy?" the sergeant yelled into the radio. Only silence and static answered the call of the distressed wolf.

"Command, this is Bravo 2-5. Do you copy? Does anyone copy?!" Once again, only static greeted the wolf. "Great. I'm stuck out here with a killer rabbit and a…"

Muhowlmed quickly looked back at the lieutenant. He was foaming at the mouth and tore at his chest, gasping for air in that warm summer night. The wolf dropped his weapon on the ground and ran to the aid of his partner.

"It's okay, Abdul. I'm here. I'm here. Look at me," he whispered as he held the lieutenant's head. "You're going to be fine…help's on the way. I –" Muhowlmed paused as his partner lifted his paw and pointed behind him using the last of his energy. Abdul's eyes rolled back into his head and his arm fell to the ground lifeless as the rest of his body went limp,

"You know what I hated about you sergeant?" asked a voice from behind. The wolf stood up and turned around, shaking his head. The buck was holding the sergeant's discarded stun rifle, ready to fire if he made one wrong move.

"My charming boyish looks?" growled Muhowlmed.

"Wrong answer." Jack pulled the trigger of the stun rifle sending a single taser shell hurtling through the air towards the sergeant. The node hit Muhowlmed in the shoulder. Seconds later, ten thousand volts coursed through the wolf's body; he screamed and moaned at the amount of electricity flowing through him, forcing him to his paws and knees. Seconds seemed like hours as the final dose of electricity incapacitated the wolf. He lay sprawled out on the pavement, twitching from the residue of the shock.

"It was your inability to look away. After everything I'd done for this petty excuse for a town, you still refused to accept me." Jack began to take apart the sergeant's stun rifle and discarded the pieces throughout the street.

"I refused to accept y-you…for a good…reason. You…you hide b-behind…a wall of lies t-to get…what you want…to get where you are now," retorted Muhowlmed, panting as he spoke. He slowly rose to his knees and sat on them, pulling the barb from his shoulder. It was the size of a one inch nail about a quarter inch in diameter. Four prongs were evidently used to stick and shock the suspect. As Muhowlmed inspected the stun round, he saw tiny bits of bloody flesh and fur blotting the chrome finish of the barb. The wolf touched the spot where it had entered his pelt and pulled back to reveal blood on his paw. He threw the barb away and waited for the inevitable. "I know about…your past…what atrocities you've committed."

"So, you know?" asked Jack, obviously amused by the dramatics of the wolf. After casting aside the last of the rifle in a bush, he pulled out his tranquilizer pistol and broke open the barrel. The buck pulled the used cartridge from the slot and dropped it into one of his suit jacket pockets. His paws reached around for another cartridge of serum.

"What is it you used on my friend?"

"What…this?" Jack responded as he waved around the cartridge. "Well since you're not going to be around for much longer, might as well tell you. What I used on the lieutenant is what the agency calls a Class 5 Euthanasia, or as we agents love to call them, Kill Shots. These cause massive hemorrhaging to the subjects' central nervous system, causing seizure-like symptoms. It's undetectable to most modern day drug tests, so your friend will have died due to medical complications."

The buck proceeded to load the new cartridge into the chamber of the tranquilizer pistol and snapped the barrel back into position. "What I just loaded into my pistol is specialized extract of Midnicampum holicithias. You might refer to them as 'Night Howlers.' Now this dose isn't enough to make you go savage but has some…other effects."

Jack proceeded to take aim at the meaty thigh of the wolf and said, "This will only hurt for a moment." He shot the dart and it stuck into the sergeant. Excruciating pain flooded his brain as the night howler serum coursed its way through the bloodstream. But just then, it stopped. Pain was replaced by clarity, understanding, and deep thought. Muhowlmed's mind spiraled out sheer joy as memories of long lost relatives and his days in police training when he was younger. His body was more relaxed and he could feel everything moving in his body.

"Wha…what did you do to me?" demanded Muhowlmed as he looked down at his paws, which were seemingly growing farther away from the wolf, twisting and turning into deepening spirals.

"That is part of what I came here for," he said pulling out a flash disk from his jacket pocket. "This is the research from the doctor you interviewed before she…passed away."

"You murdered her!" Muhowlmed growled as he rose to his feet.

He pulled out a second pistol and showed it to the wolf, stopping him in his tracks. "This is your normal tranquilizer dart with the fast acting tranquilizer serum for non-lethal take downs. Specially designed for all animals so as not to _harm_ them. I wonder what happens…"

_**BANG!** _

"…when you hit an animal with a tranq dart while they're on the drug."

Once again, the dart went straight through the Kevlar vest. Muhowlmed fell on his back and felt each organ failing as the tranquilizer pumped its way towards his heart. He rolled back and forth, gripping his stomach as though he'd been hit by a bowling ball. He proceeded to throw up gobs of hardened blood. Bruises formed on parts of his arms and face, making it seem like he'd been beaten to a pulp.

"Hmm…massive internal hemorrhaging, rapid clotting of blood, extreme pain and suffering. Just a few symptoms that your hospitals have to take care of tonight," said Jack as a he sneered at the dying wolf.

"Y-you m-m-monster," Muhowlmed managed to say before his head fell limp against the pavement.

"And you're dead," retorted the buck as he walked away. "Say hello to the lieutenant for me."

He pulled out a satellite phone and hit speed dial for an unknown number.

' _Is it done?'_ asked a grizzly voice on the other end.

"Yes."

' _Good. We're sending your next contract via phone.'_

Jack's phone buzzed in his left jacket pocket. He took it out, unlocked it, and thumbed his way through the virtual file.

' _You ever been there?'_

He paused for a second or two before he responded. "Yeah, I've heard of it."

' _Same job you pulled tonight. But the timeframe needs to be moved up.'_

"By how much?"

'… _four months.'_

"Wait…so you want me to pull a six month job in four months? You're crazy."

' _You want your freedom, right? If you do this, you…and your little lover, are free and clear. We won't bother you or the girl ever again. You have my word.'_ Jack froze in place. Words escaped his mouth as he was flustered. There was only one option left.

"Fine. Prep it. I'll be there in a week."

' _You'll be there in three days.'_

The call ended before he could argue. Jack leaned up against a wall and putting his head in his hands, his ears drooped over the front of his face. He let out an exasperated sigh, which echoed through the empty street. After wallowing in his own thoughts for quite some time, he pulled out the cellphone and thumbed through the contract once more before he took out the SIM card and threw it in a storm drain. He took another one from his pocket with an 'M' written on the front and inserted it into the phone. His paws navigated to the contacts list and tapped on one after scrolling down a little.

_RING…RING…RI-click._

' _Animalia Bureau of Investigation; International Operations. Fawkes speaking._

"God, it's good to hear the sound of your voice honey."

'… _Jack…'_ the voice said tenderly.

"Hey Megan."

' _Where have you been? IOD is going crazy looking for you and…and…I miss you. I want you to come home…for good.'_

"I miss you too my little vixen. But I can't come home. The…director just called me." Silence greeted Jack once more as he began to explain. "It's not official yet but…he said that after this assignment, he'd consider pulling me from field work."

' _Sigh...'_

"I don't like it either but after that, I'm done. For good."

' _Fine. Just…be safe. Okay?'_

"Alright babe. You have my word. I have to go now. See you."

The buck tapped on the red icon on the screen to end the call and shut off his phone. Again, he looked at the night skyline of Anipolis, comparing it to his kithood home. It was a little blockier and not as well refined but it came close. Screaming and yelling were distant but getting closer to Jack.

_The prodigal son hath returned…_

He thought as the buck ducked into a dark alleyway and made for the airport.


End file.
